Without trees and plants the earth would have a lot more carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere - it would of course have nasty effects on all living creatures.

Plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere and through photosynthesis the plant releases free oxygen into it's environment in return. It's a good thing that plants do this because if the air we breath had just 1% carbon dioxide by volume, we'd start to feel drowsy all the time. Plants help keep the CO2 in the air at a level that's comfortable for us to breath.

Houseplants are valuable when trying to create a healthy home because of the plant's ability to absorb CO2 and release oxygen. This is so unique to plants that NASA has even studied if houseplants would be beneficial on spacecrafts.

You don't have to have a house (or earthship) with huge windows and lots of light to keep houseplants either. There are many different types of houseplants that will do well under various conditions.

If you're new to houseplants don't worry too much about not having any experience - remember there's no pressure. But, do a little planning and don't just by a plant because it looks nice. Sure the plant might look great, but the spot you've picked out for it in your bathroom might not provide the amount of light that it needs to survive.

When you're planning for a new houseplant pick a spot for it and make a note of the conditions that area throughout the day. The important things are the intensity of the light that the area receives and the length of time that the light is available.

Once you have the spot picked out and the conditions noted, you can take your notes to your houseplant retailer and ask them what plant will do well in the area you've picked for it. the retailer will probably show you a variety of different plants to choose from and that's when you can pick the one that looks the best to you. If you're green (as in new) at keeping houseplants, make sure you let the person who's showing you around that you're new at it. Don't be shy, we all started green.

No matter what plant you choose to keep it will visually make your house look more healthy as well ask keep the air you're breathing a lot more healthy for you.